Page 179 of Like Grim Death: Part One

It’s sensual, the way the viscous liquid glistens along his tongue and his eyes cut to mine. “Remember that, when you start thinking I’m the bad guy, Sevryn.” He closes his mouth, swallowing the drug and screwing the top back on the bottle. He pockets it, his eyes fluttering closed briefly.“I tried,”he repeats, gaze flashing as he trains it on Ella once more.

When I turn my head, Maverick is staring right back at him, and this time, his tattooed hand is on the gun, finger tapping the trigger, Ella dangerously perched on his lap.

“What’s wrong?”My arms are around his neck, my lips close to his ear.

He doesn’t touch me though, his hand cradled around his gun instead. Silence stretches between us while the sounds of splashing water and bass-heavy music infiltrates the background. Mav’s leather scent is mixed with the smells of the pool, and it’s a heady combination.

I dip my nose to the crook of his neck, inhaling, my lips hovering over his bare skin. Since last night, we’ve exchanged few words. We took our stuff up to his suite here at Liber, the very same place we first met. I had hoped being back here would romanticize the time we’re spending together, even if it’s in hiding.

But this isn’t the movies.

He only seems more on edge since we’ve arrived, and he won’t speak to me but in one or two word answers. I kind of wish he’d roll a joint. At least if he’s high, he isn’t so tense.

“Go upstairs.” His voice is cold.

The rejection stings, my cheeks growing hot as I pull away from him, but my arms are still looped around his neck. His pale blue eyes don’t cut to me and I watch a muscle in his jaw jump.

I take in his tattooed throat, pouty lips, pulled upwards at each corner naturally, he’s so fucking hot. But desire for him mingles with feelings of worthlessness. I don’t know how things went so wrong, but it seemed as if, last night, he wasn’t just hurting someone who wanted to hurt me.

It was like he was attacking something else too. Something he can’t get out of his head.

“Why?” I whisper, hating the fact I’m pouting, but I want him to touch me. Look at me.Be with me.Lucifer and Sid aren’t down here, neither is Rain or Brooklin, and I wanted to relish in these stolen moments without them.

“Do as I say.” His long lashes curve upward, thick and dark, framing the lightness of his irises, the whites of his eyes.

I massage my thumbs over the sides of his throat, and all at once, he moves. His free hand comes to my wrist, circling tight as he stills me, his devilish gaze finally cutting to mine. But suddenly I don’t want to be underneath his scrutiny.

His nostrils flare, eyes widening. “Did you hear me?” he asks calmly, his fingertips pressing into my skin.

“Mavy,” I whisper, a lump growing in my throat. I don’t understand if this is about what happened between us last night. Is he really still angry that I was upset over the fact he didn’t want to hold me? “What’s wrong?”

He doesn’t answer with words. Not at first. Instead, he brings up the gun he’s holding, beside my hip. My ass on his lap, my legs off to the side, feet dangling from the pool chair.

He caresses the curve of my thigh, over my jeans, but the barrel is aimed at my muscle. If he pulled the trigger—and his finger is on it—it would do a lot of damage.

My heart stammers inside my chest, beats uneven and frightened.

I hold my breath, my tongue pushed to the roof of my mouth as he caresses me with the weapon.

“Get off me. Andgo upstairs.”

* * *

I almost get lost in Liber.

It isn’t hard to do. A tall, square mansion made of stone, like a modern-day castle, I could wander around it for hours and if things weren’t so bad between Maverick and me, I could even enjoy it.

On these upper levels, I can’t hear the music I left pulsing downstairs.

Sevryn was sitting in a chair by Atlas there too, the two of them talking together. I felt their eyes on me when Maverick told me to leave, but I ignored them both. I still don’t know what Atlas wanted to warn me about, and last night—early this morning—I never texted him back to find out. I want to keep my distance with Mavy’s growing temper.

Still, it would be nice to have a friend here. Someone who actuallywantsme. I try to hold my humiliation in. I try to reason with myself. Maybe he’s on edge about what we’re hiding from here. Something is up with him and Lucifer too, and maybe he’s finally catching onto the secrets between us.

I can only dream.

Walking down a dark hallway, floor panel lights the only thing illuminating the way, I take a turn only to nearly collide with a small shadow.

I shoot my hands out to defend myself and catch my balance, my heart hammering hard inside my chest.